Understand your UK address
Make sense of postcodes, flat numbers, rooms and billing addresses before ordering a SIM, completing forms or arranging a delivery.
ETO365 · Editorial update
Read an address, line by line
Illustrative format only, not an address to use. Always enter your own actual address.
Example address
- Astor College
- 99 Charlotte Street
- London
- W1T 4QB
- 01Building
- The hall name. No resident name or room number is shown; ask your accommodation for your own room format.
- 02Street
- Building number and street; a building name may need another line.
- 03Town / City
- The town or city in your address.
- 04Postcode
- The full postcode does not replace a building or flat number.
A postcode is only part of the address
The example uses the Astor College hall address published by UCL, solely to explain the format. It does not identify anyone’s home and must not be copied for deliveries or account applications. See the UCL source below.
A postcode helps locate an address but does not replace it. Save the full address supplied by your accommodation, including the flat or room, building name or number, street, town and postcode.
A flat is an apartment unit; a room identifies a room within a property. Student accommodation may have a specific building name and delivery format. Use the format your accommodation provides.
Delivery and billing addresses
The delivery address is where you want an item sent. The billing address is the address associated with payment or an account. They may be different; follow the service's instructions rather than guessing which address will make a payment work.
Before ordering a physical SIM or essentials, confirm your move-in date, whether reception accepts parcels and whose name to put on them.
If your address is not listed
Check Royal Mail's address finder, then confirm the room details and delivery instructions with your accommodation provider. A new building or hall's postal entry may differ from its room name.
Ask the service provider how to enter an unlisted address. Being able to receive post does not by itself establish that you meet a bank's proof-of-address requirements.
Official websites
Royal Mail
Official source · Link checked
UCL — Astor College
- Start here if
- Check the public hall address used in the example.
- What to check
- An address-format example, not permission to receive post, an accommodation recommendation or a partnership claim.
Official source · Link checked
We checked the organization and purpose of each destination. Check the provider's current terms for prices, eligibility and setup requirements.
Next step
Choosing a PAYG SIM when you arrive in the UK